Poseidon
Poseidon was the Greek deity of earthquakes, the oceans and all water sources, marine weather, the surface of the earth, horses, and storms. He held sway over the seas and waters, and is particularly known for causing tempests. Poseidon is also the patron of seafaring. One of his cult titles, Enosichthon, means "earth shaker", referring to his role in causing earthquakes. His symbols are the trident, with which he raises the waves and causes tides, and the bull, which is as aggressive as him. He is also called the "tamer of horses", as he created the first horse from the crests of the waves. His Roman counterpart is Neptune. Poseidon was the child of Kronos and Rhea, and brother to Zeus and Hades. According to some folklore, he was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which was devoured by Kronos. Myths Poseidon and Medusa Poseidon once raped Medusa,who was a beautiful girl, more beautiful then any girl in Greece. Athena caught him raping her in Athena's temple. When Athena discovered this, she angrily turned her priestess Medusa into a monster for her losing her purity and her two sisters begged Athena to turn her back so were as well (Stheno and Euryale) turned into hideous beasts. Years later, when Perseus slayed Medusa and their son the warrior Chrysaor and the winged horse(Pegasus) were born from her blood. Patron God of Athens Once a lovely city was built on a hill and Athena and Poseidon competed to be its patron god.Poseidon created a temple for himself as a gift for the city and Athena created the olive tree.The city chose Athena's gift over Poseidon's gift and thus named th city,Athens after the goddess of wisdom herself. The Cretan Bull When Minos,the King of Crete wanted to prove that he was the rightful king,he told the Cretans that he was able to make a majestic white bull appear from the sea.Minos prayed to the gods to help him perform this feat and he would sacrifice the bull in return.Poseidon heard this prayer and made a pure white bull appear from the waves.After Minos became king,instead of sacrificing the bull like he promised,he tried to sacrifice his other bulls and kept the white bull as a pet.This greatly angered Poseidon,who,with the help of Aphrodite,made Minos's wife, Pasiphae,fall in love with the bull,leading to the birth of the Minotaur.As his seventh labor,Heracles wrestled the Cretan Bull until it tired out,then brought it before his half-brother,King Eurystheus. The Walls Of Troy Poseidon and Apollo once convinced the other gods to overthrow Zeus as he wasn't doing a good job ruling Olympus. They tied him up while he was sleeping and nearly succeeded, but at the last moment, the sea nymph Thetis along with the Hekatonkheire, Briares, freed Zeus. As a punishment, Apollo and Poseidon had to build the famous Walls of Troy for King Laomedon. Consorts and children #Amphitrite ##Triton ##Benthesikyme ##Rhode (possibly) #Aphrodite ##Rhode (possibly) ##Herophile the Sibyl (possibly) #Demeter ##Despoina ##Arion, the talking horse #Gaia ##Antaeus ##Charybdis #Hestia (wooed her unsuccessfully) #Aba, nymph ##Ergiscus #Agamede ##Dictys #Aethra ##Theseus #Alistra ##Ogygus #Alcyone ##Aethusa ##Hyrieus ##Hyperenor / Hyperes ##Anthas #Alope ##Hippothoon #Amphimedusa, Danaid #Erythras #Amymone ##Nauplius #Arene ##Idas (possibly) #Arne / Melanippe ##Aeolus ##Boeotus #Arethusa ##Abas #Ascre ##Oeoclus #Astydameia, daughter of Phorbas ##Caucon #Astypalaea ##Ancaeus ##Eurypylus of Kos #Beroe (daughter of Aphrodite) #Boudeia / Bouzyge ##Erginus #Caenis #Calchinia ##Peratus #Canace ##Hopleus ##Nireus ##Aloeus ##Epopeus ##Triopas #Celaeno (Pleiad or daughter of Ergeus) ##Lycus ##Nycteus ##Eurypylus (Eurytus) of Cyrene ##Lycaon #Celaeno, Danaid ##Celaenus #Cerebia ##Dictys ##Polydectes #Ceroessa ##Byzas #Cleodora ##Parnassus #Khione ##Eumolpus #Chrysogeneia ##Chryses, father of Minyas #Corcyra, nymph ##Phaeax #Coronis #Diopatra, nymph of Mount Othrys #Euryale, daughter of Minos ##Orion (possibly) #Eurycyda ##Eleius #Eurynome (Eurymede), daughter of Nisos ##Bellerophon #Euryte / Bathycleia ##Halirrhothius #Halia ##Rhode (possibly) ##six sons #Harpale / Scamandrodice / Calyce ##Cycnus #Helle ##Almops ##Edonus ##Paion #Hermippe ##Minyas (possibly) #Hippothoe #Taphius #Iphimedeia ##The Aloadae #Laodice #Larissa ##Achaeus ##Pelasgus ##Pythius #Leis, daughter of Orus ##Altephus #Libya ##Agenor ##Belus ##Lelex #Lysianassa / Anippe ##Busiris #Mecionice / Europa, daughter of Tityos ##Euphemus, Argonaut #Medusa ##Pegasus ##Chrysaor #Melantheia, daughter of Alpheus ##Irene #Melantho (daughter of Deucalion) ##Delphus #Melia ##Amycus ##Mygdon #Melissa, daughter of Epidamnus ##Dyrrhachius #Mestra #Mideia ##Aspledon #Molione #The Molionides #Mytilene ##Myton #Oenope ##Megareus of Onchestus (possibly) #Olbia, nymph ##Astacus #Ossa ##Sithon (possibly) #Peirene ##Cenchrias ##Leches #Periboea ##Nausithous #Pero, nymph / Kelousa, nymph ##Asopus (possibly) #Pitane, nymph / Lena ##Euadne #Phoenice ##Torone #Pronoe, daughter of Asopus ##Phocus #Rhode ##Ialysus ##Cameirus ##Lindus #Rhodope, daughter of Strymon ##Athos #Salamis, daughter of Asopus ##Cychreus #Satyria, nymph of Taras ##Taras (eponym of the location) #Syme ##Chthonius #Themisto ##Leucon (possibly) #Theophane ##The Ram of the Golden Fleece #Thyia #Tyro ##Pelias ##Neleus #Thoosa ##Polyphemus #Daughter of Amphictyon, unnamed ##Cercyon #Nymph of Chios, unnamed ##Chios #Nymph of Chios, unnamed (another one) ##Melas ##Agelus #unknown consorts ##Amphimarus ##Amyrus, eponym of a river in Thessaly ##Astraeus and Alcippe of Mysia ##Calaurus ##Corynetes (possibly) ##Cymopoleia ##Cromus (eponym of Crommyon) ##Geren, eponym of a town or village Geren on Lesbos ##Dicaeus, eponym of Dicaea, a city in Thrace ##Euseirus (father of Cerambus) ##Ialebion (Alebion) and Dercynus (Bergion) of Liguria ##Laestrygon, eponym of the Laestrygonians ##Lamus, king of the Laestrygonians ##Lilaea (possibly) ##Messapus ##Onchestus ##Ourea ##Palaestinus ##Phorbas of Acarnania ##Poltys ##Procrustes ##Proteus ##Sarpedon of Ainos ##Sciron ##Syleus ##Taenarus (possibly) Friends: Apollo and Delphinus Enemies: Athena and The Trojans Importance Poseidon is the most frequently mentioned god in Ancient Greece, even more than Zeus. He is said to be the Protector of the Greek Cities, especially those who possessed naval power. Poseidon is also said to cause mental illnesses like the god, Dionysus. The ancient Greeks respect and also fear his power as Poseidon could be vengeful and cause all sorts of destruction. Temples *Because Poseidon's temple's have always been built near the sea or ocean they have been weathered away and are not in good shape today. The best temple that is still mostly intact is in Cape Sounion that has a view of the Aegean Sea. Trivia *Although Poseidon is the Lord of the Oceans, his name means the Lord of the Earth. *Horses, Bulls, Rams and all marine life are Poseidon's sacred animals. Ash trees and White Pine trees are his sacred trees. *Poseidon once convinced the other gods to overthrow Zeus and almost succeeded. Gallery Poseidon by vinilinx.jpg Poseidon.jpg Category:Gods Category:Immortals Category:Olympians Category:Males Category:Children of Cronus Category:Sea Gods